Explosion Kills Four at Shipbreaking Yard

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has called for urgent action to stop dangerous working conditions after four workers died following a gas cylinder explosion in a shipbreaking yard in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The condition of four more workers is still critical, after suffering severe burn injuries in the blast.

The accident happened on September 5 at the Shital Ship Breaking yard, established in 2011.

According to the yard management, the eight workers were hit by the cylinder blast when they were getting ready for work, reported local media.

Three of the workers received only basic care and were sent back home. Later they were admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital when their condition had deteriorated. Five others were already being treated at the hospital; however, Khokon, Moksedul, Alamin and Shajahan succumbed to their injuries and died in hospital. Today, Nadim, Pasha, Abdur Rouf and Mannan are still fighting for their lives, reports the NGO.

“This terrible accident and the deaths of the workers are painful reminders of the dangerous working conditions that are prevalent at the shipbreaking yards of Bangladesh,” said Muhammed Ali Shahin, coordinator of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform in Bangladesh. “Continued lack of proper procedures, adequate infrastructure and equipment and sufficient training are the root causes for such deadly accidents. We demand that all yard owners and the relevant authorities push for drastic change and ensure a safe and sound working environment in the yards. The yard management must be held responsible.”

It was only after local NGOs, trade union affiliates and member organisations of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, contacted the Bangladesh Shipbreakers Association (BSBA) that the workers received better treatment in the hospital. The Ship Breaking Workers Trade Union Forum and Platform member organization BILS demanded proper care and treatment and reminded the yard owners about their obligation to provide compensation to the victims and their families. On September 10, after three of the injured workers had already died in the hospital, activists and citizens formed a human chain in Chittagong to protest against the lack of response from the yard owners.

“It is irresponsible of shipowners to continue to ignore what is happening in Bangladesh and to perpetuate a situation of exploitation and unsafe working conditions by choosing these yards to maximize their profits instead of demanding responsible ship recycling yards,” said Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

The Daily Star, the leading English-speaking newspaper in Bangladesh, commented that “it is unacceptable that an industry as huge and risk-prone as shipbreaking should still be in such a primitive state that allows these horrible accidents to occur. The apathy and negligence demonstrated by employers violate basic labor laws that make it mandatory for workplaces to maintain minimum safety standards.”

According to information gathered by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and its member organizations, in 2015 alone 12 shipbreaking workers have died on the job, and 17 more were severely injured. Last year, 17 shipbreaking workers died in Bangladesh, and at least 37 were injured.

As the third anniversary of the entry into force of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) approaches, Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI) is embarking on a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of the Convention. The study has been commissioned by the International Transport Workers’ Federation. It will be an in-depth and... Read more →